At the initiative of the creators of the “Response After 100 Years” Program and with the support of the Ministries of Diaspora and Culture of the Republic of Armenia, Cinema Star hosted the presentation of the music video for the song “I Will Sing You” by Istanbul-Armenian female singer Sibil and founder and lead singer of the rock band The Beautified Project Andre Simonian. The song is written by Hasmik Hakhverdyan, and the music video is directed by Davit Ayvazyan. The Dutch Brunnera Foundation and Teryan Armenian Cultural Center also supported the initiative.

In his speech at the event, Deputy Minister of Diaspora of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Srapionyan particularly stated the following: “Sibil is a unique singer since she is entitled to sing in Armenian at state concert halls in Turkey, her songs are played on Turkish television channels and are highly popular. Thus, Sibil serves as our strong ambassador in Turkey whose art can mitigate all negative moods against the Armenian community in Turkey, and all this is thanks to the charming voice and exquisite songs of Sibil. Sibil was already recognized in Istanbul for ten years when she was accidentally introduced to Minister of Diaspora of the Republic of Armenia Hranush Hakobyan. The meeting with Sibil had inspired the Minister so much that she invited the singer to Armenia, and this became a turning point in Sibil’s life. Sibil is exceptional for us Armenians, and her exceptionality became more marked after her collaboration with Andre Simonian that led to the creation of this wonderful song. Besides being a call for return to the Homeland, the song “I Will Sing You” is a way of communication with the hearts of Armenians living abroad. This is a conversation with the soul when the awareness of identity is awakened within a person.”

Afterwards, Sibil and Andre Simonian shared their stories of the Homeland and the story behind the creation of the song. “My first visit to Armenia was in September 1996. The country was preparing for the Independence Day celebrations. There were young people gathered at Republic Square, while Yerevan was in darkness. It seems to me I fell in love with my Homeland on that day. My grandfather dreamed that one of his grandchildren would live in Armenia. I turned his dream into a reality, and I have been living here for the past 11 years. Throughout these years, I had always wanted to sing a patriotic song, and when I heard the song “I Will Sing You”, it seems as though it was my story of repatriation. The result was my collaboration with Sibil that was first and foremost an opportunity for me to express my feeling of patriotism,” Andre Simonian noted.

Singer Sibil said the following: “I spent my childhood looking for answers to questions since I didn’t understand why I was not allowed to speak Armenian outside, why Armenian songs and music were not heard on television, etc. However, when I examined the history and learned the truth, I started becoming more attached to Armenian culture, particularly Armenian songs and music. For years, I would sing in a church choir, but I dreamed of conveying my songs and thoughts to the public at large. I went on to release my first self-titled album, which quickly reached Armenia and was disseminated in the Diaspora. I listened to the song “I Will Sing You” a year ago and liked it a lot. I will always be grateful to the songwriter Hasmik Hakhverdyan for giving this song to me and Andre.”

Afterwards, the music video for the song “I Will Sing You” was presented to the audience for the first time ever.